In order to further strengthen the propaganda, education and warning efforts to combat online rumors, improve the public's ability to identify online rumors, and help create a clear social atmosphere. Recently, the police of Shengang Police Station of Jiangyin Public Security Bureau carried out a propaganda campaign to combat and rectify online rumors in the jurisdiction.
During the event, the police explained the characteristics, harms and how to identify online rumors to the public face to face through distributing publicity materials, explaining the law with cases, and answering questions on the spot. Help the public to improve their awareness and skills in identifying and resisting online rumors, and advocate that the public consciously resist online rumors and false information.
1. Characteristics of online rumors
1). Keep up with hot events
Online rumors usually use current social hot events to speculate or fabricate so-called "inside stories" and "truths", thereby attracting the attention of netizens and causing social attention.
2). Strong emotion orientation
Online rumors are good at mobilizing netizens' emotions and detonating online public opinion by hyping sensitive topics and deliberately provoking group confrontations.
3). Blurred information sources
Internet rumors usually deliberately blur the source of information, tamper with the time and place of the incident, and piece together and fabricate multiple events in order to attract fans and divert traffic.
2. The harm of online rumors
1). Damage the reputation and interests of others. Internet rumors often spread false information against specific individuals or groups, maliciously attack and defame the reputation and interests of others, which may cause victims to suffer economic losses, social pressure and mental trauma.
2). Undermine social trust and stability. Internet rumors spread quickly and widely. Once they form a scale, they may cause public panic and anxiety. The spread of false information may also trigger mass incidents and even lead to social unrest.
3). Mislead public cognition and values. Internet rumors often take advantage of people's cognitive defects and psychological weaknesses to fabricate false information and mislead the public's cognition and evaluation of specific events or characters, which may lead to confusion in public values and affect social civilization and progress.
3. How to identify online rumors
1). Whether the source of information is authoritative. Observe whether the source of information is released by authoritative media or institutions.
2). Whether the content and views are objective. Verify whether the content is supported by relevant evidence, data, investigation and other information.
3). Whether the browsing page is healthy. Check whether the browsing platform contains a large number of unhealthy content such as advertisements and online novel links.
